Control of plant growth and developmental process

Abstract

The invention relates to a method of modulating plant growth or developmental processes in a plant or plant cell, more particularly, organogenesis and/or embryogenesis, through the provision of a plant protein which can act as a transcriptional regulator of the processes. The invention further provides a plant and propagating material thereof which contains, in its genome, a nucleotide sequence encoding a protein of the invention, the protein characterized in that it includes the amino acid sequence PRGRPPGSKNK (SEQ ID NO:2).

1 . A method of modulating plant growth or developmental processes in a plant or plant cell, said method comprising: 
 introducing into said plant or plant cell a protein that has at least 200 amino acids, wherein the amino acid sequence PRGRPPGSKNK (SEQ ID NO:2) is present in the N-terminal part, and wherein a DUF296 domain having a cysteine to serine substitution is separated from said amino acid sequence by about 13-20 amino acid residues,    thus modulating growth or developmental processes in said plant or plant cell.    
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said developmental process comprises organogenesis, embryogenesis, ectopic organogenesis, and/or somatic embryogenesis.  
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 providing said plant or plant cell with a growth regulator.    
     
     
         4 . A method for producing asexually derived embryos, said method comprising: 
 transforming a plant cell with a nucleotide sequence encoding a protein that has at least 200 amino acids, wherein the amino acid sequence PRGRPPGSKNK (SEQ ID NO:2) is present in the N-terminal part, and wherein a DUF296 domain having a cysteine to serine substitution is separated from said amino acid sequence by about 13-20 amino acid residues;    growing said plant cell to produce tissue;    selecting said tissue for the presence of said nucleotide sequence;    assaying said tissue for asexual embryo production; and    maintaining or growing isolated mature or immature embryos in culture.    
     
     
         5 . A method for producing asexually derived embryos, said method comprising: 
 introducing into said plant cell a protein that has at least 200 amino acids, wherein the amino acid sequence PRGRPPGSKNK (SEQ ID NO:2) is present in the N-terminal part, and wherein a DUF296 domain having a cysteine to serine substitution is separated from said amino acid sequence by about 13-20 amino acid residues, to produce a modified plant cell;    growing said modified plant cell to produce tissue;    assaying said tissue for asexual embryo formation; and    maintaining or growing isolated mature or immature embryos in culture.    
     
     
         6 . A method for producing an apomictic plant, said method comprising: 
 transforming a plant with a nucleotide sequence encoding a protein that has at least 200 amino acids, wherein the amino acid sequence PRGRPPGSKNK (SEQ ID NO:2) is present in the N-terminal part, and wherein a DUF296 domain having a cysteine to serine substitution is separated from said amino acid sequence by about 13-20 amino acid residues, to produce a transformed plant; or introducing said protein into said plant;    selecting said transformed plant for the presence of said nucleotide sequence;    assaying said transformed plant for asexual embryo production;    maintaining or growing isolated mature or immature embryos in culture; and    production of complete plants from the mature embryos.    
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 4 , wherein assaying involves assaying for adventitious embryony.  
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 4 , wherein assaying involves assaying for somatic embryos.  
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 4 , wherein assaying involves assaying for gametophytic embryos.  
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 4 , wherein assaying involves assaying for parthenogenesis of an embryo sac.  
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 4 , wherein assaying involves assaying for diplospory.  
     
     
         12 . A method for enhancing the regenerative capacity of a plant, said method comprising: 
 transforming a plant cell with a nucleotide sequence encoding a protein that has at least 200 amino acids, wherein the amino acid sequence PRGRPPGSKNK (SEQ ID NO:2) is present in the N-terminal part, and wherein a DUF296 domain having a cysteine to serine substitution is separated from said amino acid sequence by about 13-20 amino acid residues, or introducing said protein into said plant cell to produce a modified plant cell;    growing said modified plant cell to produce tissue;    assaying said tissue for enhanced regeneration as compared to wild-type tissue; and    regeneration of complete plants from said tissue.    
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the step of growing said transformed plant cell, the step of assaying said tissue, or both the step of growing said transformed plant cell and the step of assaying said tissue are carried out in the absence of an additional growth regulator.  
     
     
         14 . A method of selecting a modified plant, said method comprising: 
 transforming a normally non-regenerative plant with a nucleotide sequence encoding a protein that has at least 200 amino acids, wherein the amino acid sequence PRGRPPGSKNK (SEQ ID NO:2) is present in the N-terminal part, and wherein a DUF296 domain having a cysteine to serine substitution is separated from said sequence by about 13-20 amino acid residues; or introducing said protein into said plant, to produce said modified plant; and    determining whether said modified plant is able to regenerate under conditions in which said normally non-regenerative plant does not regenerate.    
     
     
         15 . A method of producing a protein of interest, said method comprising: 
 preparing a first nucleotide sequence encoding a protein involved in transcriptional regulation characterized in that it has at least 200 amino acids, wherein the amino acid sequence PRGRPPGSKNK (SEQ ID NO:2) is present in the N-terminal part, and wherein a DUF296 domain is separated from said amino acid sequence by about 13-20 amino acid residues;    preparing a second nucleotide sequence encoding a protein of interest under the control of a regulatory element, wherein said regulatory element is bound by the expression product of said first nucleotide sequence which induces the expression of said protein of interest;    transforming a plant with the first and second nucleotide sequence;    selecting said transformed plant for occurrence of said first and second nucleotide sequence; and    growing said transformed plant in order to produce said protein of interest.    
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 15 , wherein said protein of interest is selected from the group consisting of a pharmaceutically active protein, antibody, industrial enzyme, protein supplement, nutraceutical, storage protein, an enzyme involved in oil biosynthesis, animal feed, and animal feed supplement.  
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the protein comprises the amino acid sequence having Genbank accession no. NP — 191115.1 or NP — 177776.1, or a functional part thereof.  
     
     
         18 . A plant protein having at least 200 amino acids, wherein the amino acid sequence PRGRPPGSKNK is present in the N-terminal part, and wherein a DUF296 domain having a cysteine to serine substitution is separated from said sequence by about 13-20 amino acid residues wherein said plant protein has Genbank accession no. NP — 177776.1, or a functional part thereof.  
     
     
         19 . A nucleotide sequence encoding the plant protein of  claim 18 .  
     
     
         20 . The nucleotide sequence of  claim 19 , comprising the nucleotide sequence having Genbank accession no. NM — 106300.1.  
     
     
         21 . The method according to  claim 2 , further comprising: 
 providing said plant or plant cell with a brassinosteroid.    
     
     
         22 . The method according to  claim 5 , wherein assaying involves assaying for adventitious embryony.  
     
     
         23 . The method according to  claim 5 , wherein assaying involves assaying for somatic embryos or for gametophytic embryos.  
     
     
         24 . The method according to  claim 5 , wherein assaying involves assaying for parthenogenesis of an embryo sac.  
     
     
         25 . The method according to  claim 5 , wherein assaying involves assaying for diplospory.  
     
     
         26 . The method according to  claim 6 , wherein assaying involves assaying for adventitious embryony.  
     
     
         27 . The method according to  claim 6 , wherein assaying involves assaying for somatic embryos or for gametophytic embryos.  
     
     
         28 . The method according to  claim 6 , wherein assaying involves assaying for parthenogenesis of an embryo sac.  
     
     
         29 . The method according to  claim 6 , wherein assaying involves assaying for diplospory.